Tzu Chi Medical Journal
Volume 22, Issue 2 , Pages 115-118, June 2010

Cerebral Sparganosis

Department of Emergency Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan

Received 26 May 2009; received in revised form 16 June 2009; accepted 8 July 2009.

Article Outline

Abstract 

A 47-year-old woman presented with severe headache associated with nausea for 2 weeks. There was no fever, neck pain, dizziness, vertigo, unilateral limb weakness, blurred vision or trauma history. She had no history of systemic disease or medical problems. Brain computed tomography showed left side diffuse brain edema. Brain contrast magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mixed intensity mass lesion with heterogeneous abnormal enhancement in the left parietal lobe. The differential diagnosis included neoplasm and a lesion mimicking a neoplasm. An operative biopsy showed a grossly yellow, 3 cm, left occipital tumor. Pathological findings showed granulomatous inflammation in the brain tissue and a dead parasite body was noted. Calcareous bodies were evident inside the parasite. Cerebral sparganosis, which is an infection from Spirometra mansoni, was diagnosed. Two weeks later, she was discharged and had recovered completely. She may have been infected by eating raw meat and drinking unboiled water. Cerebral sparganosis is extremely rare and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of metastatic brain tumor, especially in endemic areas.

Keywords:  Calcareous body , Cerebral sparganosis , Sparganosis , Spirometra mansoni

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PII: S1016-3190(10)60052-3

doi:10.1016/S1016-3190(10)60052-3

Tzu Chi Medical Journal
Volume 22, Issue 2 , Pages 115-118, June 2010

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